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Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Ok ok! So I know it's March already, however I still have a couple of Kitchen posts to wrap up, so bare with me until we transition to our March featured space, Kid's Spaces.

And I must beg for forgiveness now, I think this post will go down as one of the longest in history, Guinness Book style! So sorry for the information overload, I am super hopeful that it's worth it!

At the beginning of February, because the Kitchen space was my featured monthly space, I decided that I was going to undertake a project of my own within my kitchen. And you have all been hearing about it in bits and pieces, from the new bag I "No Sewed" together to hold chip and bread clips, to the uber awesome pantry necessities for keeping the space ultra tidy and the food ultra fresh! Yes, I was going to do a major pantry project!

So why a pantry makeover you ask? Well, for a couple of reasons. As in any organization project, it's so important to do things that make your space work better for you, and your daily life. And although my previous pantry was so super organized, my kitchen was not functioning to what I thought it's full potential was.

You see, we currently have two closets within our kitchen, one smaller one that goes floor to ceiling and another that is more of a half a closet.

The floor to ceiling closet started out like this:

We originally used this closet as a place to hold our garbage can and cleaning supplies.

Our pantry, as I mentioned earlier, was a very organized and functional space:

And the closet, is actually only half a closet really, because our stairs to our lower level, go right underneath it, cutting it in half.

So where did our coats live? Great question actually, glad you asked! Well, our house was originally built negative a coat closet. That's right folks, no place for the coats and shoes and hats and mittens and backpacks and umbrellas, to call their home. Lesson learned, we will NEVER own another home minus a coat closet. So, with no coat closet, all coats and boots would pile up here {this photo was taken on a good day}:

The remainder of our outerwear is tucked away in a spare bedroom closet, causing us to have to walk through the whole house to grab outdoor goods.

So, again, some fairly organized living was happening here, but I was actually dealing daily with a few problems with this situation:

1. The coat hook area by the back garage door, became a dumping zone for backpacks, boots and outerwear, causing the area to quickly become extremely cluttered and crowded.

2. The fabulous closet holding our garbage can and cleaning supplies, seemed like a ton of wasted storage space, screaming to be used. Only problem, where to put the garbage can? It was too big to add to the coat storage mess by the garage! Plus, our doggy dishes lived over there also:

3. The biggest problem I had with how we were using our closet space, was that I was walking clear across my dining room, anytime I was in need of some noodles or cereal or making lunches:

And although the picture makes the pantry closet look like it's only a few feet away, it was literally 13 walking steps away from the counter I prepare food at {26 steps round trip}. And as you can see, the garbage closet, is a mere 3 walking steps away. Total nonsense!

Therefore, it was time to switch things around, here was the new plan:

Yep, we were going to move ALL of that stuff from our original pantry cabinet, to the taller, skinnier, garbage holding one. And then we were going to make a coat closet out of the once pantry. And the garbage can you ask? Well, with us moving all of the coats and boots away from the coat hooks by the garage entrance, and purchasing a more slim garbage can, we were able to move it out of the closet to it's new home next to the garage door:

It fits oh so perfectly, as good as OJ Simpson gloves!

So moving the garbage can was the first successful step. And the rest was pretty easy as well!

Now, as with majority of home projects and organization projects, things had to get ugly before they got better. For two days, we lived like this:

That is the entire contents of two cabinets, all living on our kitchen table. It's all about making sacrifices, and if that means living off of a kitchen table for two days, then it's so worth it!

So, now with our cupboards all empty, we started to make them what we needed them to become. It was transformation time!

We started out by digging out leftover shelving from our storage room, that we still had from when the home was built. What a huge $$ saver! We also took out the extra shelving from the original pantry turned coat closet, and used that as well to create more storage in the then garbage closet.

Something else worth mentioning, although I don't have photos of it before, was that we had lined the lower half of the garbage closet, with glossy ceiling tiles, for easy garbage cleanup when food splattered on the walls. And of course once you apply those to the wall with a strong adhesive, taking it down would cause total wall repair, so we opted to actually just finish the closet with more panels, all the way to the ceiling for a more unified look.

Here is what the new pantry cabinet looked like with floor to ceiling shelving, and floor to ceiling wall panels:

TONS of storage space was just created, and I was in kitchen heaven. Well, almost, I still had a table full of stuff to deal with!

Oooh ooh oh, as you can see from the snapshots above, I had purchased this over the door storage system:

And although I was good at measuring the door dimensions, I wasn't great at considering I would have a big ol' door knob in the way. But, waste not, I will show you what we ended up doing with the two larger storage baskets shown at the bottom of the unit. The top part fit just perfectly, giving us so much extra pantry storage. So, split into two pieces this organizer was.

While my amazingly wonderful hubster was assembling the new pantry, I was busy working on the new coat closet. As I mentioned, we had removed most of the old pantry shelving to reuse in our new pantry space, leaving the new coat closet, looking like this:

Ok, so we actually removed ALL of the shelving. For a minute. So I could patch all the shelving holes and give the closet a fresh coat of paint. Then, back in went one shelf for hanging coats {and holding all of our cleaning supplies, up far out of little finger's reach}:

And waste we did not. Here you can see where we added the remainder of the over the door storage baskets, that didn't fit around the pantry closet door knob:

Right into the coat closet they went, to be used for all sorts of goodness, like holding hats and mittens and lunch boxes and umbrellas! Fabuloso!

So, with all the assembly portion of the makeover, now complete, it was time for all of the real fun! Filling up the two new storage spaces! This didn't take more than a couple of minutes, although, it was somewhat of a puzzle making sure that things were easily reachable, and making sure I put things back in places that made sense to our daily routine.

Once all of the food was put back, our new pantry looked like this:

Remember the before:

And the After:

Here is a quick breakdown of what happened -

Canned goods were corralled in the new over the door storage baskets:

Extra boxed goods were stashed way up on the very top shelf. These are items that are un-opened and not used since all items used daily are stored in special air tight containers:

The second shelf down, below the boxed goods, is additional canned goods and rice.

The hub of the closet contains all of our breads, dry foods, noodles and snacky foods:

And you can't forget the pooches, we actually stored their puppy bones in the pantry as well:

And down on the floor there:

Extra bottled juices and waters tucked away wonderfully. And there is also stack-able baskets filled with veggies and a bin with our green shopping bags.

So fabulously functional, I could scream it from the rooftops! I am in pantry love!

And did you notice something hanging from the inside of the door? Yes my friends, that is our weekly shopping list, waiting to be filled out as soon as something runs low/out:

It's hanging from a clipboard that conveniently matches my clip bag:

Nothing like pantry harmony!

Oh! And the absolute best part! Location was a huge plus, the total main reason for the switcharoo project, but we also created SO much extra kitchen shelving and storage by going to the new closet and snagging some over the door storage, that I was able to completely empty a full lazy susan, into the new closet!

Can you say wowzers? I mean, it's so great having so much space to work with! Now I can start giving pots & pans and appliances more breathing room within their personal spaces as well!

And not to forget about the awesomeness that is the new coat closet!

The updated closet space now keeps cleaning supplies tucked away from kids, holds outerwear accessories in special baskets, gives shoes a place to take a rest, hangs purses and jackets and offers a personalized space for the kiddos to keep their items for "on the go".

Backing up a bit, check out how perfect these baskets are for lunchboxes and mittens! Match made in heaven:

And my purses are hung by a simple "S" shaped shower curtain hook {the rest of the hooks are "hanging out" in my bedroom closet, holding all my other purses}:

The newest addition to the closet, to ensure no space went to waste, was three photo boxes, that up until now, were going unused. I popped in some labels in the fronts, that included each kiddo's name, and lined them up under the shoe rack:

Now this is what I call convenience. Each kid has their own outbox, perfect for storing everything from library books to school supplies to everything in-between. And if we need more shoe storage, these boxes also stack nice and neat, clearing up extra space for the items that cover our feet!

Once the jackets are hung, this multi-functional closet still boasts tons of extra space and so many storage options! This gal couldn't be more pleased!

No more cluttered coat mess by the backdoor. Check. No more walking clear across the kitchen just to make a quick sandwich. Check. Extra storage space. Check. Easy peasy garbage access. Check. Seriously, the total time invested is so worth the outcome, and will be gained back before I can say, "super snazzy kitchen pantry switcharoo project, complete!"

Oh happy day. I can't wait to hear what you guys think! Anyone organize spaces within their own kitchens this month? If so, can you spill the details? Whether it was a utensil drawer or an entire kitchen transformation, I would love to know what went down in your homesteads, and hear about the amazing outcomes!

57 comments:

I do love it. I am nervous about your purses on the hooks. If they are real leather, they can crack and warp from that, it happened to me. True story. I have an old dresser that I store in my broom closet that houses the good purses now. The ceiling tiles are making me over-joyous.

I found your blog through Centsationgirl blog. I love all your organizing projects...especially the pantry!!! My kitchen needs that to empty out some shelves. Thanks for sharing. You are definitely inspiring.

Our pantry door is SO narrow that clearing the knob leaves us only about 13 inches of width. Does anyone know where one might get over-the-door storage racks that narrow?! I've been searching since we moved in here 6 years ago, and all I ever find is the 17.5 to 18 inch wide variety. I got very excited when I saw the pantry door photo on someone's pinterest because the pantry LOOKED as narrow as mine, so I read and followed links until I found this first Organization in hopes of finding the source of such narrow shelves. But the link leads to 17.5" wide rack, which won't fit on our door. ::sadness::

love your pantry and closet!!!! You are so inspiring. I may have missed them, but where do you keep your baking supplies (flour, sugar, nuts, chocolate chips)? I have a ton of baking things and don't know where to put them. ALso where do you put your spices? As far as the coat closet, ours houses our vaccum and steam cleaner and sewing machine. Where do you keep your vacuum? Any suggestions on where to put those? Thank you!

I used to keep my baking supplies in my spice cabinet, which you can see here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2010/02/february-featured-space-kitchen-spicin.html

However, now, they are lined up on the counter in clear canisters.

Our vacuum is located in our hall linen closet {which we customized to hold the vacuum in the bottom and two shelves above}. The rest of my cleaning supplies are hung right out the kitchen door on a utility hanger in the garage, more on that here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-featured-space-outdoors-garage.html

where did you get the plastic shelving at? we just bought a house that doesnt have a pantry so we need to turn our coat closet into one. we thought about building our own shelves but want to go whichever route is cheapest!

I found your blog through pinterest.com and I love all of your organizing! I love to organize, I'm not as good as you are, but I'm getting there, you've definitely inspired me. I want to go to my kitchen now and reorganize my pantry and cabinets, thanks!

You rock my socks off. We are currently in an itty bitty apartment, looking to buy a house in the late fall. I can't WAIT to get on all this organization (ok, full disclosure, slightly terrified for the act of organizing, but want the finished product of it), and you make it all seem so perfectly doable! THANKS!!!!

*sigh* I need to organize our pantry and our entry/exit area where the shoes and what-not live. I need a purse hook, there must be a mitten bin and the boys need places to keep library books. You inspire me. Off to see what I can dream up to sane-ify my own life.

Any ideas for how to store bread in something prettier than a bread bag? I make my own bread and freeze most of it, but would like to keep a loaf out for daily use without it going moldy in a couple days. Maybe a "food storage" post is coming soon? :)Thanks for all your ideas!

Hi Jen...just discovered your blog thru pinterest (new-found love last week) and I heart it!!! First of all, great blog and secondly, I have the same trash can! Heart that as well. I am trying to re-org my small pantry and it looks similar to yours so thanks for all the inspiration. Had a question - where did you find that over-the-door organizer? I have a small pantry door so I haven't had any luck finding one that fits. Second question - where do you keep your aprons? Mine is currently on the inside of my pantry door but I need more storage space. Help please - thanks.

I noticed you had shelves before the ceiling tiles. Did you have to remove shelves to install the tiles? Trying to figure out how to reproduce this. My shelves are already installed.Thanks for all yourwonderful inspiration!

I am so green with envy! They say opposites attract. So y is it they also drive u insane? My hubs is so ocd and I'm the tornado that comes through and scatters things every where I'm trying so hard to get organized and u make it look so easy!

I did it! The pantry! There have been countless life changes in the last year; too many to count, including 2 moves. Aaughhh! New, big house, but cavernous deep pantry. I teach and so I have tons of organizing devices around. Of course my space is way different than yours, but your pix made me "catch the bug" so I got busy rearranging (some tossing) and I can now see waaayyy to the back! Thanks for the nudge.

Hi! I came over from YHL and am now just starting to go through your blog. I was just wondering about the can-holder-attached-to-the-door-thingy (actual scientific name) if its full weight won't affect the door in any way in the long run? That's such a good way to maximize limited space but I wonder how your door is holding up after all this time.

Love your blog so much that I decided to start at the beginning and read every single post!! Just wondering if you could tell me you got the little hanging chalkboards on your baskets that say "shoes" and "stuff"?

Just wanted to say thank you so very much for sharing all you do. You have so inspired me to get a hold of my "life". I have gotten so overwhelmed as I have been going through some health issue's the past 7 years and no longer have the ability to be as I used to. Miss OCD has turned into Miss OMGOSH I have lost total control over my house, LOL. Thank You again for the tips and inspiration:)

My project for the month because that's probably how long it's going to take me to do it is just the Pantry and kiddie cabinet! I'm going to search Family Dollar to see if they have the containers I need. If not, I've found them online at Target! Thank you for all your great ideas, I hope to have an organized clutter free home in 2013!

Thanks for your inspiring blog! I found this on Pinterest and I'm addicted to organizing now. My life is so hectic with kids and a husband and I went back to school recently. I am so unorganized and it was getting so bad I couldn't be happy. Thanks for changing my life and motivating me to do my best. My family really needed this and so did I.

I too have a lazy susan cabinet. What did you end up doing with yours?

Jen-I am thinking about cereal. It appears you use Tupperware? Is this what you have found to be the best? I am going crazy with my method, although I am thinking one tweak will resolve a lot of my issue.

I have been using the original bags, whether a single normal box or more likely the jumbo bags from Costco. Then I use the barrette type bags clips. Periodically when I tidy up, I'll cut off excess bag sticking beyond clip. Where are all these bags? Well in an empty box sitting atop the unopened value pack cereal boxes (to raise it higher off ground for easy reach). It seems to work keeping them all together, but...

There's always a "but" isn't there? Sometimes that box is full, sometimes approaching ends of all the bags at once. I was thinking of buying those wire wall planters (for plants) to hold these bags under our lowest shelf so it is off the ground. See I want stuff off ground as much as possible AND the supply of extra cereal varies anyways sometimes putting said box on floor.

BUT, if you have tried every trick in the book and say Tupperware is the way to go, I might try to reconsider.

Hi, Jen! Beautiful blog and beautiful home! I'm in the middle of reorganizing my kitchen and had a question....I really want to use clear canisters/storage containers for pasta, rice, cereal, etc. My question: When you bring home the groceries and you empty the cereal or rice into your designated containers....what do you do with the original packaging if it doesn't all fit into your container. If you save it and put it somewhere, aren't you using more space by using the clear containers and the original package? Wouldn't it actually be more space saving to just use the original package? I hope you have a brilliant answer because I'd much rather use the pretty containers, but my practical side is battling me on it. ;)Thanks!Casey

I have an extremely small kitchen. Thank you for these ideas. I have one small cabinet that has very deep shelves. I am short and to put things way in the back, I can never see what we have or need. I thought about putting pull-out shelves, but that would cut back on the space. Any suggestions? I think I will try to do the storage containers on the door. And a grocery list. That is fabulous!

I have seen people use simple plastic bins to essentially create a pull out drawer {vs. investing in the pricier options}. I used a tray in ours, which I can pull out to reach items in the back. You can see how we updated our pantry here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2013/02/kitchen-pantry-update-part-3-reveal.html

I'm currently organizing my kitchen and corralling like items together and labeling like a mad woman, but im having a time finding just the right words for the labels. I want cute and original but that make sense.mainly for the those EXTRA stock food items that are stored up high until we run out of the one in.use..any ideas on terminology ? Right now it just says extras..

I am so envious of your pantry redo. Everything is so neat and orderly.

I just bought a new house that doesn't have any sort of pantry at all and though I haven't moved in yet, just the thought of how I am going to set everything up when the time comes gives me a headache. I hope to have a cabinet/cupboard pantry built before I move in, but even then it would never be as nice as your own.

I also love your coat closet set up. The main door I will be going in and out of will be the kitchen door, not the front door, and there is no place to set up a coat and outdoor wear station. I don't look forward to having to traipse through the whole house to get a coat. . . But I do think I will be using some of your organizational ideas when I do set the closet up, so at least everything will be nice and neat.

Thank you so much for taking a moment to join in the conversation! I read and sincerely appreciate each and every comment, however, I will remove any comment that I believe to be inappropriate, malicious or spam like. I would love for this comment section to be used as a place to engage in purposeful dialogue, and criticism/feedback is best received when shared constructively. This blog is my happy slice of the internet, let's keep it that way!